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Policies & Documentation » Visitor Policy

Visitor Policy

IMHOTEP INSTITUTE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL
VISITOR POLICY
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS MANAGEMENT
UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY


Purpose


The Board of Trustees of Imhotep Institute Charter High School (IICHS) considers the protection of students, staff, and school property, and the maintenance of an instructional environment free from interruption and interference, to be of extreme importance for effective operation of the school. Administration, students, and staff must be permitted to carry out their assigned responsibilities without disruption. School premises must be protected from vandalism, illegal entry and unauthorized use.

 

Students and staff shall be protected from willful disruption of the orderly conduct of their classes, school programs, and activities. These guidelines will restrict the entry of any persons, other than authorized school officials and students, upon school grounds and school buildings during such periods of time as school is in session. This shall include the right to post building with notices prohibiting unauthorized entrance and directing visitors to designated office areas for entry approval. Administrators are authorized to exclude persons from entering school premises and to request their removal when such action is deemed necessary to implement the intent of this policy.


Delegation of Responsibility


The Board hereby authorizes the CEO to enforce the following guidelines and procedures that are necessary to carry out the intent of this policy.


Scope


1. The scope of authority of this policy and of school personnel who are responsible for enforcing it is limited to buildings and grounds under the jurisdiction or control of IICHS.
2. The term Visitor shall include all who are not employees, volunteers, or students of the school.
3. The term Administrator shall include the CEO, Principal, Vice Principal (or the Principal's designee), or the Director of Operations.
4. The term Staff Member shall include any employee of IICHS.


Procedure


The Administrator has the right to refuse admission to the school for any excessive number of visitors or to any who disregard the following:


1. Those wishing to visit the school shall make arrangements in advance with the school office by stating reason, date, and time of the proposed visit. In all cases where permission is not obtained in advance, it must be obtained promptly upon entering the school. No visitor may remain at the school without the permission of an Administrator.
2. Prior to approval of the request, the Administrator shall discuss the request with the staff member involved. Should there be disagreement, the Administrator's decision shall prevail but the basis for that decision shall be first discussed with the staff member.
3. Upon arrival at the school, the visitor must sign the Visitor's Log at the security desk where the visitor will be given instructions as well as a Visitor's Pass or Identification Badge and sent to the main office. The Visitor’s Log should require some basic information from all visitors, including the visitor’s name and signature, their affiliation, and the name of the student or staff member who will be visited. The visitor should also record their arrival and departure times and the purpose of their visit.
4. The staff member being visited shall require that the visitor present the Visitor's Pass or Identification Badge. If the visitor states that they have a meeting with a staff person, the front desk should call the staff person to confirm and if possible, escort all visitors to their destination or ask the staff member involved to come to the security desk. Avoid having the visitor meet the staff member in a separate room.
5. Upon completion of the visit, the visitor shall return to the main office, if necessary, to return materials and must stop by the security desk to enter departure time in the Visitor's Log.
6. Administrators shall have the right to adapt or set aside the above procedures in event of special activities such as assembly programs, athletic events, or performances.


Guidelines


1. No visitor shall be permitted to interrupt a staff member in the performance of duties whether that interruption is for conversation or observation.
2. To minimize interruption to the instructional program and to ensure safety, no visitor may confer with a teacher or student without the approval of an Administrator.
3. No visitor shall go directly to a classroom to deliver or "pick-up" students or speak to teachers unless such visits have been approved previously by the principal. Approval for taking a student from school shall be granted only to a parent or guardian having custody unless that parent or guardian gives explicit permission in writing to release the student to a designated family member or adult.
4. Should an emergency require that a student be called to a school office to meet a visitor, an Administrator shall be present throughout the meeting.
5. Appropriate portions of this policy statement shall be placed in the School Handbook and/or posted to Schoology.
6. All visitors to the building are required to follow these procedures. All parents, former students, and former staff members, as well as delivery people and vendors, should be held to the policy.


Maintenance of Safety


1. The Administrator has the authority to exclude any visitor who is considered to be disruptive or will cause disruption to the educational program, disturbing to students or staff, or intent on committing an illegal act. Wherever possible, the Administrator shall specifically indicate the circumstances under which a parent may return.
2. A copy of Imhotep’s visitor policy will be made available at the security desk.
3. Vistors must display their Vistor’s Pass or Identification Badge at all times while on the premises. School staff who observe visitors without proper identification are to report that information immediately to the school office.
4. Buildings and grounds shall be secured at all times in such a manner as to deter unauthorized entry and discourage breaking into facilities. This shall include the establishment of a security locking system and the use of gates traffic control devices designed to exclude intruders, such procedures to be approved by the School Climate department.
5. School administrators, school security personnel, and such other persons assigned responsibilities for the supervision of students, programs, and property are authorized to implement prosecution proceedings subject to the following conditions:

  • a. Person(s) involved have entered facilities either by subterfuge, breaking and entering, or remaining after being directed to leave the premises.

  • b. Person(s) have interfered with authorized programs and activities or are under suspension with the privilege to be on premises removed and refuse to leave the premises.

  • c. Organizations or groups which have been provided access to the facilities fail to adhere to regulations and procedures governing use of facilities and have been directed to leave the premises.

  • d. Driver(s) of motorized vehicle(s) which enter restricted areas on school premises or fail to adhere to parking and speed requirements. Non-licensed operators are prohibited from driving on school premises and non-licensed motorized vehicles are prohibited from entering school premises.

  • e. Person(s) who are a threat to the safety of either the staff or facilities may have entry privileges removed or may be prosecuted, whichever action seems most appropriate by the school administrator. Such action shall include, but not be limited to, the following reasons:



1) False fire alarms;
2) Bomb threats;
3) Threats to persons;
4) Accidents or incidents involving bodily injury;
5) Unauthorized demonstrations;
6) Disregard and violation of school policies and regulations;
7) Violation of any provision of Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes if the violation occurs on school property or property utilized for school purposes; or
8) Violation of any provision of Section 777 and other applicable sections of the Public School Code.


  • a. Person(s) have entered school vehicles without prior authorization, vandalize school vehicles, or vehicles of employees on school premises.

  • b. Person(s) who are a threat to the safety of students or employees while utilizing school transportation facilities may have their riding privileges removed or may be prosecuted, whichever action seems most appropriate by the school administrator.



6. Pursuant to City of Philadelphia Ordinance "Unauthorized Entry on School Premises," 1971 and 19 P.S. Section 3503 Defiant Trespass, school administrators, security personnel, and such other persons assigned responsibilities for the supervision and care of students, programs, and property are authorized to utilize law enforcement agencies as deemed necessary to implement this policy.


Photography, Filming, or Videotaping in School Buildings


1. The photographic reproduction of school programs, students or physical plants by non-school personnel or staff is generally prohibited. Exceptions may be made for:


a) the news media with approval from an Administrator, and in accordance with the school's media policy
b) educational purposes with the approval of the Administration where the program is of continuous duration, or school operations where the program is of limited duration.
c) commercial purposes only with the approval of the parents of any students to be involved and the Administration.
d) other purposes not listed above only with the approval of school operations and the Administration.


Date adopted: December 18, 2014